In 1961 when ten year old Richie meets Joey Pittman and his deranged family he doesn't realize that life as he knows it will be irrevocably changed. It now would be turned into a living nightmare. Then, years later, a chance encounter gives Richie the opportunity to end his terror and bring an end to the insanity of the Pittman family.

Bundy, Gacy, Rader, Ridgeway...they all had one thing in common --- Gramma Pittman and her deranged family.Family Ties: In 1961 when Richie was ten years old he met Joey Pittman. Although they became best friends, Richie had no idea that Joey and his family would drastically change his life forever and turn it into a living nightmare.Family Secrets: Now, years later, a chance encounter with a group of friends seeking to solve a sister's disappearancegives Richie the opportunity to put an end to his life-long torment and end the Pittman family forever.

A new edition with a new introduction and an additional chapter.

Secret-keeping is a seemingly unavoidable part of human interaction, from governments to married couples. Unlike privacy, which in the West is considered a healthy characteristic of the autonomous adult, secrets are often troublesome, creating distorted perceptions and strained relationships. Secrets, moreover, are complex. They differ in significance (a surprise party versus hidden incest), in the ways they shape family relationships (who knows what about whom), in their location (between family members or between the family and society), and in their effects on individual functioning (Does the secret affect only one relationship or the overall way the individual responds to others?). Because of this complexity, secrets are resistant to simple "rules": Therapy must comprise more than opening up the secret or addressing only the context and not the content or vice versa. Therapists are confronted with the difficult task of examining their own values regarding secrecy while, at the same time, providing an effective therapeutic environment. Practical issues of individual safety, the meaning of the secret for the family, the therapist's attitude towards secrets in general and the family's secret in particular - all must be considered in order for treatment to be effective. Here, Imber-Black and her contributors offer a vast array of approaches to helping families deal with secrets involving sexuality, race, violence, parentage, substance abuse, illness, and death. The contributors explore the therapeutic, social, and political issues of secrets, while always keeping families firmly in mind. Through the many case examples, they show us how families, at first constricted by the need tomaintain secrecy, can gain strength through greater openness. Part I sets the stage by defining secrets and their often shame-bound origins. Part II examines secrets throughout the family life cycle: in couples, between parents and children, and with loss. Part III shows how addictions such as drug abuse and eating disorders are often symptoms of unhealthy secrets. In Part IV, secrets of violence and abuse are discussed. Part V offers a comprehensive look at social secrets involving sexism, heterosexism, and taboos. Part VI discusses two very charged topics: secret-keeping involving race and racism and with AIDS. Part VII concludes the book by offering a pattern for teaching and handling secrets in therapist training. This diverse cast of talented therapists provides an elastic model for treating family secrets, while compelling us to reevaluate our own thinking about secrets.

After their father's death, sisters Vanessa, Ellie, and Georgiana are stunned to learn a well-kept family secret. A yellowed letter tucked away in a family Bible reveals that the woman who gave birth to their late father had not died when he was born, as they had always believed. Their paternal grandmother gave up her son shortly after his birth, leaving this note with instructions to never reveal her name or background to him. The letter is signed, simply, Hattie. The sisters are each at a turning point -- Vanessa is feeling stifled in a stale marriage and career; Ellie is perpetually single but desperately wants marriage and motherhood; and baby sister Georgiana is a successful model but longs to do something more serious with her life. Seizing upon the idea of finding their long-lost grandmother, the women set out on a trip to Montana, where they hope not only to find their father's birth mother but also to rekindle their bonds of sisterhood and possibly even find their true selves. But they have no idea of the consequences of their quest. If the sisters find Hattie and live to tell their story, everything Hattie has worked and dreamed for will be destroyed. Will she allow the sisters to uncover the family secret and escape alive?

All families have secrets. Some secrets are healthy, but others - those that John Bradshaw calls 'dark secrets' - limit the wholeness and freedom of every member of the family, often generation after generation. In Family Secrets, John Bradshaw examines the family's mysterious power to affect our lives. He explains how secrets are created, how they influence us (even if we don't know they are there), and describes the risks and benefits exploring them. With the aid of a genogram, which can be used to chart key relationships, Bradshaw provides us with a step-by-step guide to uncovering the secrets of the past and the present. Family Secrets includes dozens of fascinating case studies which illustrate how we can recognise crucial gaps and silences, reconstruct missing information and decipher partial memories. It provides vital advice on how to deal with the truths revealed and shows us ways to stay safely and honestly connected with our families. For more information on John Bradshaw please visit www.johnbradshaw.com

As if stumbling over a dead body isn't enough, Crystal Cartwright finds herself playing surrogate mother to two small boys when their father--her neighbor--doesn't come home. The kids aren't much trouble, but the thieves, drug dealers and kidnappers they're about to encounter are. Detective Jack Dunlevy, a cop down on his luck, draws the cases no one else wants. A simple investigation involving a dead homeless man quickly changes as Crystal enlists Jack's help with the children. Drawn into a mystery that none of them could have anticipated, they're faced with a situation that will change their lives forever. Review. "Be sure to add Family Secrets by Jamie Hill to your reading list, you'll be glad you did." ~5 Hearts ~ Anita, The Romance Studio